Album Review

Shirley Caesar's Treasures is a budget-priced disc featuring 15 of her most popular gospel tracks, including "Don't Drive Your Mama Away," "Stranger on the Road," and "I Believe." Also included is the anti-drug rap "King Heroin." Unlike the James Brown song of the same title, Caesar's message gets lost in a honky tonk arrangement drenched in strings that is pretty corny. Otherwise, Treasures provides a good introductory sample of Shirley Caesar's powerful voice and music with a message.

Biography

Born: 13 October 1938 in Durham, NC

Genre: Christian & Gospel

Years Active: '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, '00s, '10s

Known as the First Lady of Gospel, Pastor Shirley Caesar is a beloved and powerful singer known for her boisterous and encouraging performance style. All of her songs combine music with ministry to convey her messages. The Durham, North Carolina native began professionally in the '60s, when she joined the Caravans and quickly established an immensely successful career as a lead artist, working with the Caesar Singers and various choirs. Caesar claimed the first of many Grammy Awards in 1971, when...